Leadership

Styles
Leadership styles may be of
relevance to a variety of
situations where there is a
requirement to manage
others.  Effective
performance will depend on
many factors including the
organizational culture in
which the individual is
 The three styles of
leadership:
 Authoritarian or autocratic
 Participative or democratic
 Delegative or Free Reign
Authoritarian (autocratic)
 This style is used when the leader tells her
employees what she wants done and how she
wants it done, without getting the advice of her
followers. Some of the appropriate conditions to
use it is when you have all the information to
solve the problem, you are short on time, and
your employees are well motivated. Some people
tend to think of this style as a vehicle for yelling,
using demeaning language, and leading by
threats and abusing their power. This is not the
authoritarian style...rather it is an abusive,
unprofessional style called bossing people
around. it has no place in a leaders repertoire.
 The authoritarian style should normally only be
used on rare occasions. If you have the time and
Participative (democratic)
 This type of style involves the leader
including one or more employees in on the
decision making process (determining what to
do and how to do it). However, the leader
maintains the final decision making authority.
Using this style is not a sign of weakness,
rather it is a sign of strength that your
employees will respect. This is normally used
when you have part of the information, and
your employees have other parts. Note that a
leader is not expected to know everything --
this is why you employ knowledgeable and
skillful employees. Using this style is of
mutual benefit -- it allows them to become
Delegative (free reign)
 In this style, the leader allows the employees
to make the decision. However, the leader is
still responsible for the decisions that are
made. This is used when employees are able
to analyze the situation and determine what
needs to be done and how to do it. You
cannot do everything! You must set priorities
and delegate certain tasks. This is not a style
to use so that you can blame others when
things go wrong, rather this is a style to be
used when you have the full trust and
confidence in the people below you. Do not
be afraid to use it, however, use it wisely!
Positive and Negative
Approaches:
 There is a difference in ways leaders approach their
employee. Positive leaders use rewards, such as
education, independence, etc. to motivate
employees. While negative employees emphasize
penalties. While the negative approach has a place
in a leader's repertoire of tools, it must be used
carefully due to its high cost on the human spirit.
 Negative leaders act domineering and superior with
people. They believe the only way to get things
done is through penalties, such as loss of job, days
off without pay, reprimand employees in front of
others, etc. They believe their authority is increased
by freighting everyone into higher lever of
productivity. Yet what always happens when this
approach is used wrongly is that morale falls; which
of course leads to lower productivity.
 Also note that most leaders do not strictly use one
or another, but are somewhere on a continuum
 Conclusion:
 Leaders are concerned about the human
needs of their employees. They build
teamwork, help employees with their
problems, and provide psychological support.
 Leaders believe that they get results by
consistently keeping people busy and urging
them to produce.